Revolutionizing Jet Engine Production: Honeywell's Use of Ceramic 3D Printed Molds for Turbine Blades

The aerospace company Honeywell will employ the ProMaker Ceram Pro 365 system from Prodways to fabricate molds for turbine blades.

Honeywell has openly embraced additive manufacturing (AM) to expedite and enhance the development and production of jet engines. By leveraging AM technology, Honeywell aims to significantly compress the development timeline for a new series of turbofan engines, potentially revolutionizing the aviation industry.

Honeywell stands out as one of the pioneering jet engine manufacturers utilizing ceramic 3D printed molds for turbine blade production, specifically through the ProMaker Ceram Pro 365 system at its additive manufacturing facility in Phoenix. This innovative approach replaces the conventional investment casting method, which involves intricate metal dies and tooling to create ceramic molds for casting superalloy turbine blades.

Presently, Honeywell leverages Prodways' vat-based high-resolution 3D printing technology to process ceramic slurry and directly print the molds. By harnessing a cutting-edge printer developed by 3D industrial printing leader Prodways Group, Honeywell has significantly reduced both the time and cost associated with manufacturing first-stage high-pressure turbine blades.